First Known Use: 1938
Dictionary
amphetamine
noun am·phet·amine \am-ˈfe-tə-ˌmēn, -mən\
: a drug that causes the nervous system to become more active so that a person feels more energy and mental excitement
Full Definition of AMPHETAMINE
: a racemic compound C9H13N or one of its derivatives (as dextroamphetamine or methamphetamine) frequently abused as a stimulant of the central nervous system but used clinically especially as the sulfate or hydrochloride salt to treat hyperactive children and the symptoms of narcolepsy and as a short-term appetite suppressant in dieting
See amphetamine defined for English-language learners
See amphetamine defined for kids
Origin of AMPHETAMINE
International Scientific Vocabulary alpha + methyl + phen- + ethyl + amine
Rhymes with AMPHETAMINE
acetylene, adamantine, alexandrine, aquamarine, Benedictine, carbon 13, elephantine, flying machine, garbanzo bean, heart-lung machine, internecine, labyrinthine, merchant marine, milling machine, mujahideen, nanomachine, nouvelle cuisine, Oligocene, Paleocene, pinball machine, rowing machine, simple machine, talking machine, ultramarine, vanilla bean, vending machine, voting machine, washing machine
AMPHETAMINE Defined for Kids
amphetamine
noun am·phet·amine \am-ˈfe-tə-ˌmēn, -mən\
Definition of AMPHETAMINE for Kids
: a drug that makes the nervous system more active
Medical Dictionary
amphetamine
noun am·phet·amine \am-ˈfet-ə-ˌmēn, -mən\
Medical Definition of AMPHETAMINE
: a racemic sympathomimetic amine C9H13N or one of its derivatives (as dextroamphetamine or methamphetamine) frequently abused as a stimulant of the central nervous system but used clinically especially in the form of its sulfate C9H13N·H2SO4 to treat attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy and formerly as a short-term appetite suppressant—see benzedrine
Learn More About AMPHETAMINE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: amphi-Previous Word in the Dictionary: ampherotokyAll Words Near: amphetamine
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up amphetamine? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).